Bethany College (West Virginia)
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Type | Private,Liberal Arts |
---|---|
Established | 1840 |
Founder | Alexander Campbell |
Religious affiliation | Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) |
Endowment | $77 million[1] |
President | Jamie Caridi, Interim President (January 1, 2022-present) |
Students | 650 (600 full-time) |
Location | ,, United States |
Campus | Rural1,300 acres (526 ha) |
Athletics | 22NCAADivision III Athletic Teams and an Equestrian club team. |
Colors | Green and White |
Mascot | Bison |
Website | www.bethanywv.edu |
Bethany Collegeis aprivateliberal artscollege inBethany, West Virginia.Founded in 1840 byAlexander Campbellof theRestoration Movement,who gained support by the Virginia legislature, Bethany College was the first institution of higher education in what is now West Virginia.[a]
History[edit]
A liberal arts college, Bethany was chartered on March 2, 1840, by theVirginialegislature and given "all degree-granting powers" of theUniversity of Virginia.[citation needed]West Virginia's secession from Virginia on June 20, 1863, recognized existing Virginia charters; Bethany College continues to operate under the Virginia charter.
It was founded byAlexander Campbell,a minister in theRestoration Movementwho provided the land and funds for the first building and served as the first president. Bethany has been a four-year private liberal arts college affiliated with theChristian Church (Disciples of Christ),[2]since its inception.[3]This religious body, of which Campbell was one of the principal founders, continues to support and encourage the college but exercises nosectariancontrol. An early center ofcoeducation,Bethany has admitted women since the 1880s.
The college's roots stem from the Buffalo Seminary, founded in 1818, by Campbell; sessions were first held in hismansionin Bethany,[4]home of Alexander Campbell and his father Thomas Campbell. The new Buffalo Seminary, "a continuing education arm of the College" is less than a mile away from the College.
The college is the birthplace ofDelta Tau Delta,an international social fraternity founded in 1858.[5]
DuringWorld War II,Bethany was one of 131 colleges nationally that took part in theV-12 Navy College Training Program,which offered students a path to a Navy commission.[6]
A number of campus buildings are contributing resources to theBethany Historic District.[7]The Historic District was listed on theNational Register of Historic Placesin 1982.[8]Pendleton Heightswas listed in 1975 and theDelta Tau Delta Founders Housein 1979.[8]
The campus is also home to the Parkinson Forest, which in 2019 was added to the national Old-Growth Forest Network. The designation identifies the Parkinson Forest as the oldest Old-Growth Forest in Brooke County.[9]
Academics[edit]
Bethany College offers a wide selection of studies, awarding Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degrees in more than 25 fields. If a major does not appeal to a student, Bethany offers students the opportunity to design their own major through the Interdisciplinary program. Bethany also offers dual majors, which is a combination of two majors.[10]
According to recent research, 95% of Bethany College graduates carry student loan debt, averaging $25,704.[11]The endowment fund in 2016 was worth $46.7 million.[12]According toU.S. Newstuition and fees are $28,444 and room and board costs $10,270 (2017–18). About 29% of Bethany students graduate in four years.[12]
Notable alumni[edit]
- Virginia Dare Aderholdt,anArlington Hallcryptanalyst and Japanese translator, who decrypted the intercepted Japanese surrender message, August 14, 1945.
- W. W. Anderson,attorney, known for shootingFrederick Gilmer BonfilsandHarry Heye TammenofThe Denver Post.
- Joseph Baldwin(1852), educator and founder ofTruman State University.
- James Beauchamp "Champ" Clark(1873), Democratic representative fromMissouriandSpeaker of the United States House of Representatives.[13]
- Walter M. Bortz III,educator and 23rd president ofHampden-Sydney College.
- Thomas Buergenthal(1957), retired U.S. judge on theInternational Court of Justice.
- Faith Daniels(1979),CBSandNBCnews anchor.
- Wilma Z. Davis(1912-2001), codebreaker during World War II and the Vietnam War.
- Daniel Coleman DeJarnette Sr.(1822-1881) Democratic representative fromVirginia,served in theUnited States House of Representativesand then in theConfederate Congressduring theAmerican Civil War.
- Shane Douglas(1986), professional wrestler.
- William Ferrel(1844), meteorologist.
- Sid Gepford,NFL player.
- Bob Goin(1959), athletic director in Florida State University and University of Cincinnati.
- Caroline Gordon(1916), novelist and critic, author ofPenhally.[14]
- Kristan Hawkins,president ofStudents for Life of America(SFLA).
- Kaye Gorenflo Hearn,Justice of theSupreme Court of South Carolina.
- Joseph Rucker Lamar(1877), Associate Justice, Supreme Court of the United States.
- Edgar Odell Lovett(1890 [class valedictorian]), first president ofRice University.
- William H. Macy,Emmy Award-winning actor (attended; transferred toGoddard College.)
- Oliver S. Marshall(1850–1934), president of theWest Virginia Senate1899 to 1901 fromHancock County.
- Frances McDormand(1979), film, television and stage actress and winner of fourAcademy Awardsincluding Best Actress forFargo(1996) andThree Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri(2017), and Best Picture and Best Actress forNomadland(2020).
- John William McGarvey(1829–1911), religious educator.
- Don Megerle,International Swimming Hall of Fameaward recipient, and 33-year Head Swim Coach forTufts University,1971-2004. He was a swimmer for Bethany in the late 1960s.
- Adrian Melott(1968), astrophysicist and cosmologist.
- John E. Niederhuber,13th director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
- George Tener Oliver(1868), United States Senator from Pennsylvania (1909 to 1917).
- John O. Pendleton(1871), United States Representative.
- Tom Poston,Emmy Award-winning actor (attended but was not graduated from Bethany College).
- Jeffrey L. Seglin,(1978), writer of weekly column "The Right Thing," faculty member,John F. Kennedy School of GovernmentatHarvard University.
- Dave Sims(1975),Emmy Award-winning sportscaster.
- Sukhi Turner,mayor of Dunedin, New Zealand, during 1995–2004.
Notes[edit]
- ^West Liberty Universityis older but was a secondary school until 1870.
References[edit]
- ^"Bethany College: Meet the Staff".Retrieved2015-07-15.
- ^"Bethany College:: Campus Ministry".Bethanywv.edu. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-12-12.Retrieved2012-11-23.
- ^"Select Library".Credoreference.com. 2000-01-01.Retrieved2012-11-23.
- ^"Bethany College:: Bethany College Establishes Buffalo Seminary".Bethanywv.edu. Archived fromthe originalon 2012-12-14.Retrieved2012-11-23.
- ^"History | Delta Tau Delta".Delts.org.Retrieved2012-11-23.
- ^Henry J. Browne (September 1981)."National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Bethany Historic District"(PDF).State of West Virginia, West Virginia Division of Culture and History, Historic Preservation.Retrieved2011-07-23.
- ^ab"National Register Information System".National Register of Historic Places.National Park Service.July 9, 2010.
- ^"Parkinson Forest Added to Old-Growth Network - About Bethany - Bethany College".About Bethany.2019-10-17.Retrieved2020-06-28.
- ^"Bethany College:: Degrees and Majors".Bethanywv.edu.Retrieved2014-08-21.
- ^"Average Student Loan Debt Statistics for 2021".Retrieved14 July2023.
- ^ab"Bethany College (WV) - Profile, Rankings and Data".US News.10 March 2016.Retrieved14 July2023.
- ^"Clark, (James Beauchamp) Champ (1850-1921)." The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide. Abington: Helicon, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 17 September 2012.
- ^"Gordon, Caroline (1895 – 1981)." The Crystal Reference Encyclopedia. West Chiltington: Crystal Semantics, 2005. Credo Reference. Web. 17 September 2012.
External links[edit]
Media related toBethany College (West Virginia)at Wikimedia Commons
- Bethany College (West Virginia)
- Buildings and structures in Brooke County, West Virginia
- Education in Brooke County, West Virginia
- Educational institutions established in 1840
- Universities and colleges affiliated with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
- Private universities and colleges in West Virginia
- Tourist attractions in Brooke County, West Virginia
- 1840 establishments in Virginia
- Liberal arts colleges in West Virginia